My Bloody Valentine
by HighlandsgirlLilyGhostShellSue
Summary: What could be called the most romantic day of the year turns into a life-threatening, and then life-changing, one for Ranger and Stephanie.
1. Chapter 1

_JE owns the rights to anything familiar - all mistakes are mine._

Thanks to _**LilyGhost**_ and _**highlandsgirl**_ for collaborating with me again. I have so much fun writing with the two of you.

* * *

I'd stopped being surprised by late night visits from Ranger a long time ago so when he appeared in my bedroom doorway just as I was getting ready to go to sleep, I greeted him causally as I pulled back the blankets on my bed.

"Yo."

The wolf grin which followed was unexpected and I backed up a step as he stalked into my personal space with a dangerous glint in his eyes.

"What, ah, wh-what are you doing, Ranger?"

"If you have to ask then I must be doing it wrong."

Stripping is what he was doing and I watched with bated breath as he lifted his shirt and dragged it over his head. It fell to the floor next to his boots and socks, which I hadn't seen him remove, and I couldn't seem to tear my eyes away from his flexing pectoral muscles as he reached for the button on his cargos. I thought, certainly not for the first time, there should be some sort of law against looking that good. Seriously, how is a body like that even fair to the rest of the universe?

The button came undone and when he lowered the zipper, I remembered I was supposed to be protesting.

"But...but we aren't..."

"I warned you, Steph," he interrupted. "I warned you if the time-out with Morelli went on too long I would be back in your bed." His pants came off and _holy crap_ , he was going commando!

 _"It's been too long."_ _  
_  
Ranger was now standing before me completely naked and I knew from previous experience, when Ranger was naked, he preferred it if I was too. The tiny shorts and tank top I'd chosen to wear to bed didn't stand a chance. I should have worn layers. Lots and lots of layers.

" _Way_ too long, Babe." He grabbed a fistful of my shirt and used it to pull me against his sinfully chiseled chest.

His coffee-colored eyes were dilated almost black as he stared down at my face. His intentions were clear - _as if his bare body wasn't a big enough clue -_ and Ranger's mouth came down over mine. He proceeded to kiss me until _I_ wanted to be naked too and then helped me out with that by sliding his hands under my shirt and pulling it off my body.

"You know, you also said being back in my bed wouldn't be good for either of us."

How the hell I remembered that statement while his mouth was covering my nipple would have to remain a mystery.

He lifted his head after my comment and with the smile that makes my heart race beneath my ribs, he said, "Oh, it will be good. Very, _very_ good."

He was right and when I woke up the next morning and he was still in my bed, it was very, _very_ good all over again. I lay there, sated and content, pressed next to him with his arm holding me close, and was just about to drift off again when he began nuzzling my shoulder before speaking softly into my ear. "I have to go but let's have dinner tonight."

 _Oh shit._ Did Ranger just ask me out on a date…and on the holiest of all dating days? "But…today is Valentine's Day."

That stopped the gifting of tiny kisses he was trailing along the back of my neck.

"Do you have other plans?"

"Well no, but..."

"Good, I'll be back at seven. Be ready." And then he was gone.

 _What the hell just happened?_

Normally I would have gone back to sleep until a decent hour but there was no way I would be able to after that. My brain wouldn't stop analyzing what this latest development meant. As far as I knew, Ranger didn't date. He had _fun_ , the evidence of that was still tingling deliciously between my thighs, but he didn't _date_.

 _However,_ asking someone to dinner on Valentine's Day seemed very date like, didn't it? Why did I always overthink everything where Ranger was concerned? I was obviously reading into something that wasn't there and needed to stop stressing about it. I wasn't attached to anyone and neither was he – as far as I knew – so why not enjoy dinner with him…and then maybe some more _fun_ after dinner? I smiled at the thought and shifted my legs under the sheets. Ranger was really excellent at the fun part.

I gave up on sleep and decided I needed a distraction so I didn't waste the rest of the day worrying about what a date with him may or may not mean. I knew what I wanted it to mean, but that wasn't a possibility for ' _I don't do relationships'_ Ranger… _right_?

Shaking my head, I decided there were a couple of skips Vinnie had been on my ass about bringing in and that would definitely kill some hours. I called Lula to see if she wanted to ride shotgun.

"Hell yeah," she replied immediately. "But only if I can bring my gun and only if we get done early. It's Valentine's Day and I gotta get ready for my da...Oh sorry, that was probably insensitive on account of you not having anyone to take you out."

"What makes you think I don't have a date?" I regretted the question the second it left my mouth but it was too late to take it back. She'd been fishing for info on my love life, or lack thereof, for weeks and I'd resolutely kept that info to myself. Apparently _fun_ with Ranger had scrambled my brain and I let my guard down.

"Did you and Officer Hottie finally kiss and make up?" She asked eagerly.

"I'll be by in an hour to get you and if you insist on bringing your gun, no bullets." I hung up before she could respond. I'd have to be more vigilant because Lula had a way of wearing a person down so you'd answer whatever she asked just to get her to shut the hell up.

I opened my closet to find something I didn't care about getting messed up since I tended to end up covered in garbage often, especially with Lula as backup. Instead, I ended up wasting thirty minutes of the hour going through outfits to wear to dinner. There was the skin-tight red leather dress I'd purchased to wear on a distraction job with Rangeman. It wasn't easy to forget the way Ranger's eyes darkened when he saw me in it...but it also had a _'lady of the night'_ vibe to it so I passed it over and continued to peruse my options.

In the very back, where I keep the things I only bring out for special occasions or by request, my fingers brushed over the shimmery black dress with a short skirt and low-cut neck. I'd only worn it once and only for a minute before Morelli had me out of it. I frowned and pushed it aside. Anything that reminded me of Joe made me frown these days.

Sometimes I ponder what would have happened if I'd picked Ranger's name out of the bowl that night. It would have been amazing, of that I had no doubt. Letting out a sigh, I grabbed an old pair of jeans and got dressed.

Lula was waiting out front when I pulled up at the curb of the office. She slid into the passenger seat of my bright yellow Ford Explorer. It was hideous but it was relatively new and I'd gotten a great deal since nobody wanted an ugly yellow car. I was just hoping it didn't get blown up before I made the first payment.

"Hope we don't need to be incognito for this capture," Lula commented. That was an understatement, especially since her hair, her handbag and her skirt were all the same color as my car.

"Nope, it's not a stakeout."

"Oh good, then I don't have to ration my snacks." She opened her bag and pulled out a Slim Jim. "Want one?"

Four Slim Jims, two Tasty Kakes, a package of Oreos and a bag of Cheetos later we had a body receipt for one skip and were on our way to find the second. Lula talked me into going through the McDonald's drive thru for a milkshake but I declined the treat.

"Who turns down a milkshake?" She wanted to know before sucking up a mouthful.

"If I eat one more thing today, I'll never fit into my dress tonight," I answered rationally. I must have been in a sugar trance because it took her response for me to realize what I'd said.

"What dress? And is it Morelli? It's him, isn't it? I knew you couldn't freeze him out forever."

 _Crap._ "Morelli is a rat bastard and I wouldn't go to dinner with him if I was _literally_ starving." I hoped that would keep her occupied enough not to reach the next logical conclusion. I should have known better.

Lula's eyes reached saucer status and her body froze like the milkshake she was in the process of lifting to her mouth again. " _Holy shit_. You're going out with Ranger. Is this a date? Like a _real_ date or just some hot monkey sex?"

I wasn't about to discuss sex with Lula, especially when it involved Ranger. There weren't any words to accurately describe what that was like anyway.

"It's just for fun. We're going to have something to eat and then…."

"Hell yeah _AND THEN_!" She interjected. "What are you going to wear? What about your hair? What about…forget this loser skip, we gotta get you ready!"

It didn't take much more to convince me. We hit the mall and I got the full works. Hair, manicure, pedicure, waxing. I was buffed and polished and waxed to the limits and then she managed to convince me the little black dress I'd dismissed earlier was the perfect choice for a night of fun with Ranger. When I voiced my concerns about it being tainted with Morelli memories, she pointed out I'd forget all about Joe when Ranger got a look at me in it.

She had me there. I felt a blush creep up my neck when I remembered the look on his face when I had first showed it to him and the pink extended to my cheeks when I recalled what he'd _said_ …and he hadn't even seen me _wearing_ it.

It was time to give that dress a new memory.

I got back to my apartment a little after six and did a quick rinse in the shower, being careful not to get my hair wet and then slathered my newly waxed skin with lotion, touched up my make-up, added a spritz of Dolce Vita to my wrists and behind my ears, slipped on the dress and slid my feet into the matching sexy ankle-strap heels. I was ready to go ten minutes before Ranger got there.

The knock on my door at precisely seven was a surprise. He didn't tend to announce his arrivals, but I was anxious to see him so I swung the door open and couldn't stop the shriek that escaped my lips.

He was leaning against the door jamb, dressed in black fatigues and his lips held the hint of a smile. "I was hoping you'd be wearing that dress. I'll just need to borrow your shower really quick and then we can go."

I don't know how long it took me to respond because the dark, wet stain on his shirt and the steadily dripping blood onto my doormat was holding my complete attention.


	2. Chapter 2

**ShellSueD is the mastermind behind this story. I'm really lucky to have her and LilyGhost as friends and collaborators.**

I made my way through Steph's darkened apartment, trying not to laugh. She had the most endearing habit of blurting out her innermost thoughts without realizing it. I wasn't above using that information to my advantage when necessary.

"Omigod. Omigod. OMIGOD."

 _Breathe, Babe._

I stopped to drop a wrinkled grape and three honey nut Cheerios in Rex's cage. The rodent sniffed the grape and then pushed it away with his paw.

"I know," I told him softly. "I don't think I would eat it either. I'll have Ella put together a care package for you while we're getting things sorted out."

I grabbed a handful of Cheerios for myself before leaving Steph's apartment, locking the door behind me.

Ramon was in the hallway, standing at parade rest halfway between the elevator and the door to the stairwell.

"Report," I said, trying to stifle a yawn. I knew from experience that the only coffee I was likely to find in Steph's kitchen was pre-ground, slightly stale and French vanilla-flavored. This morning, I hadn't even bothered to look. I made a mental note to talk to Ella about coffee too.

"No unfriendlies." Ramon's voice sounded unexpectedly loud in the empty space. He shifted on his feet, shoving his hands into his pockets. "In fact, there was no traffic at all between midnight and zero five hundred."

I lifted an eyebrow in response. I wouldn't have predicted any of Stephanie's elderly neighbors would be roaming the halls at that time of the morning. The possibility that Morelli could have paid an early morning visit crossed my mind but I dismissed it. According to standard Rangeman operating procedures, he was _persona non grata_ where Steph was concerned. I doubted he would have made it into the building.

Ramon cleared his throat. "At five, the old lady in 207…. the one who's usually in the elevator?"

"Mrs. Bestler?"

"Yeah, that's her. Mrs. B. She exited her apartment with some coffee and blueberry muffins."

That's when I noticed the golden crumbs on the front of Ramon's black uniform shirt. Un-fucking-believable. "You're supposed to be on guard duty and you're eating muffins." _And drinking coffee I would have given the Porsche for at this point._ Sadly, both the coffee and the muffins seemed to be gone. The longer we stayed in Trenton, the harder it was to maintain discipline. Right this minute, it felt like we had been in Trenton for a very long time.

Ramon didn't seem to notice my disapproval or if he did, he was pretending not to. "Lester and Hal are on their way to relieve me. You want them to swing by the Tasty Pastry and pick up breakfast for Steph?" Ramon glanced at his iPhone. "Les says they have a special Valentine's version of their Boston cream doughnut that is delicious—" He paused, realizing his mistake. "At least, that's what the sign on the window says."

"No doughnuts." Limiting Steph's sugar intake was going to be to my advantage today and at this point, I needed every advantage I could get.

There was a black Explorer waiting for me in Steph's parking lot, the motor running. I slid into the passenger seat, breathing a silent prayer of thanks when I noticed a steaming cup of coffee in the console. I reached for it but Tank blocked my hand, knocking it away.

"You look tired, RangeMan. You get any sleep last night?"

"Enough."

"So you talk to her?"

I shrugged. With a doubt, there were words exchanged.

 _Oh God. Right there. Harder. Again._

With any luck, there would be more of those tonight.

Tank smacked the back of my head. "Dumb ass. You were supposed to tell her."

He wasn't wrong, but I was in no mood to have this discussion. Re-direction seemed like the most strategic choice. "Did you bring that coffee for me?"

My partner looked at me, rolling his eyes. Yeah, we had been in Trenton for a long time. "I thought you were trying to cut back."

"Just as soon as we close this deal and tie up all the loose ends."

He gave me a hard look. "That's how you're referring to our favorite curly-haired brunette?"

"You wound me, hermano. Steph can be a loose cannon maybe, but I would never refer to her as a loose end." _End game? Be-all and end-all?_ _My undeserved and totally unexpected happy ending-_

"Jesus, you're more like her everyday," Tank muttered, making me worry that I'd said at least some of those thoughts out loud. "I hope you've got a plan. You're running out of time."

I reached again for the coffee and this time, he let me have it. "I've got it covered." I told him, savoring my first sip of Kona Gold Reserve. Yeah, I needed to cut back. Just not today.

My best friend shook his head, not quite believing me. "You ask Ella to order her flowers for Valentine's Day?"

"Ella has enough to do right now. I'll do it." For the last several years, I'd given Steph a single long-stemmed red rose. This year, I was thinking I needed at least a dozen… maybe two.

"Man, this is not like you to fail to plan ahead. You think there are any roses left in this town today? You'll be lucky to find a bunch of wilted carnations at the Shop n' Save."

"It'll be fine." The caffeine from the Kona hit my bloodstream and was feeling confident. If I was wrong, Santos could drive to Newark or even Philadelphia to find roses. I wasn't going to forget about his doughnut transgressions. "Intel on Liam MacGregor?" I asked as I scrolled through my phone for the number of the florist who we had done some work for last year.

"Not much more than what we had last night. Entered the country two days ago via JFK. One confirmed sighting in East Islip. Not much else."

"So the government is protecting us from Syrian refugee children, but a known terrorist working with the New Irish Republican Army sails through customs?"

"He's a blue-eyed, white-skinned terrorist. You really want the black man in the car to explain prejudice in America to you?"

"Guess not." As a Latino growing up in a predominantly white neighborhood in Newark, I was well acquainted with racism. For a time, I lived up to the expectations society had for me: I smoked dope, cut school, stole a car. I excelled at juvenile delinquency. Going to live with my abuela in Miami saved me in more ways than one.

"Hamid at Homeland Security sounded like he was going to have a nervous breakdown," Tank said. We had gone through basic training with Hamid, a second generation Iranian-American whose parents and grandparents had come to the U.S. with the fall of the Shah in the seventies. Ultimately, our paths diverged. Tank and I went to Ranger School and Hamid was recruited to a counter-terrorism team.

"I'll bet. He have any insight into why MacGregor is here?"

Tank looked like he wanted to roll his eyes again. "They've narrowed it down to business or personal."

"Jesus. That's helpful."

"Right? Like I said, Hamid is struggling. The agency is struggling. "

I drained my coffee, ignoring the cravings for at least another half cup. I really did need to cut back. "So… business?"

"He could be here to raise cash. There's some thought that MacGregor is here for some face time with financial backers, that he's waving the flag for the cause."

"Possible. Although in the era of crowd sourcing and Go Fund Me accounts, not likely that he would risk the travel when internet fundraising is so easy. What else?"

"Terror attack? There's a rumor that Kate Middleton has been invited to give the commencement address at Barnard College in May. Maybe he's here to plot an attack? Wouldn't be the first time McGregor's organization has targeted the British royal family."

"Maybe. Timing seems off though."

"Right. That leaves us with personal."

"He have a girlfriend in the city? Maybe an illegitimate child?"

"No evidence of that." Tank sighed and cut his eyes over to look at me. "Can't get much more personal than revenge."

A couple of years ago, the police chief of Boston had been invited to speak at a law enforcement convention in Manchester, England. Amid rumors that the New IRA planned to target the event, the city hired Rangeman to provide personal security. At the last minute, I had decided to join Ozzie and Dallas on the trip. Steph had just narrowly survived another brush with death and like an idiot, I'd sent her back to Morelli. I'd needed a distraction far from Trenton.

"He's looking for payback," Tank said flatly, never taking his eyes off the road.

I tucked the empty coffee cup back in the holder in the console.

"Possible." It was pure chance that I'd run into an old friend from Interpol in the hotel lobby. His team had located the terrorists and planned a take down during the convention's opening plenary. I hadn't hesitated when he asked if Rangeman would join, nor did I think twice about pulling the trigger when the whole mission went FUBAR and a masked gunman opened fire. My bullet had found McGregor's younger brother Colin. "That's been two years. Why now?"

The question was rhetorical and Tank didn't bother to answer. No statute of limitation on revenge.

The third florist I tried agreed to sell me two dozen red roses if I agreed to buy a two hundred dollar Waterford crystal vase to hold them AND I picked them up. I gave them my credit card number and confirmed the shop was open until six.

We finally pulled into the parking lot at the Plant Kingdom at 5:55. An afternoon meeting with Alexander Ramos had run long and he'd insisted the location be his house in Deal. By the time we got back on the road to Trenton, a light snow had started to fall, slowing traffic on the highway. Tank let the engine of the Explorer idle. "You want me to run in?"

"I'll do it. Maybe I'll get a card too."

As I pushed open the door to the shop, the woman behind the counter looked up at me with red-rimmed eyes. She appeared to be about my mother's age, with frizzy blond hair swept up in a messy bun. I wondered briefly if she had been crying. I've been told Valentine's Day did that to some people. Or maybe she just had allergies. It would suck to be a florist with allergies.

"I'm sorry. We're closed." Her eyes darted from side to side as she spoke, almost as if she was worried that her boss would appear and chastise her for turning away a paying customer.

Remembering that I was still wearing my black SWAT clothes, I tried to compensate by giving her my most disarming smile. "I called this morning. You have two dozen roses for Manoso?"

Before she could answer, the door behind her swung open and I saw an arrangement of red, pink and white roses so large it obscured the face of the person carrying it.

"You Americans have the most charming holiday traditions." As soon as I heard the soft, Irish brogue, my right hand went to the gun at the small of my back and my left activated the panic button in my watch.

"Valentine's Day?" I asked as I clicked off the safety.

The Waterford vase hit the floor and shattered, scattering roses across the tile.

Liam MacGregor smiled as he pointed a pistol at me. "St. Valentine's Day Massacre."

OOOOO00000OOOOOO

I'll be the first to admit that I have many faults. In my younger days, I had an explosive temper and that's something that I still work to control. I've been told that I can be emotionally distant. I've killed to protect my country and I've killed to protect the ones I love. I know I should probably have more remorse about that than I do.

Punctuality, though, is one of my strong suits. Seconds before 7 o'clock, I knocked on Stephanie's door. Under normal circumstances, I would have just let myself in but the pain in my right shoulder made fishing the apartment key out of my pocket a challenge.

She opened the door wearing the black dream dress. I'd never actually seen it on her body, but after I saw it hanging in her closet, it made a recurring appearance in my nighttime fantasies about Stephanie.

She gasped, interrupting my musings about what that dress was going to look like on her bedroom floor after I'd ripped it off her.

"I was hoping you'd be wearing that dress," I told her. I'll just need to borrow your shower really quick and then we can go."

"Omigod, Ranger, you're bleeding. Are you OK? What happened?"

I took a step into her apartment, fighting successive waves of dizziness and nausea. _Get a grip,_ I told myself. _You haven't lost that much blood. It's the adrenaline crash. Firefights will do that to you._

A second later, Tank was behind me, gripping my good arm to steady me.

"Bobby's on his way. He's going to clean up that wound and hopefully just apply a little Dermabond so you can get on with your Valentine's Day plans. I'm guessing your dinner plans involve a nicer place than the cafeteria at St. Francis."

"Don't worry, Babe." I tried for a tight-lipped smile. "It's definitely nicer."

"I should hope so," Tank muttered. "I don't think that would be the right place to tell her."

"Tell me what?" Steph narrowed her eyes and looked at me suspiciously.

I sighed as I pulled off my shirt, using it to apply pressure to the wound while I pulled off the metaphorical band aid.

"Rangeman is leaving Trenton."


	3. Chapter 3

**Thanks once again, ShellSueD, for believing I could contribute something to a story you masterfully began. Your way of 'present'ing it remains memorable. ;) And thank you highlands girl for writing the perfect chapter so that in mine Ranger and Steph can just be together. Everything familiar belongs to Janet. Warnings for a little bedroom fun.**

Clearly, I was light-headed seeing Ranger's blood soaking his shirt in my apartment again, and that had me hearing things.

"That's funny, I could've sworn I just heard you say that Rangeman's leaving," I told Ranger and Tank, "which is obviously insane, since your company is a Trenton staple."

"I'll explain in the shower."

Did he not see my hair, makeup, and the dress? There's no hope in hell of me looking like this a second time.

"I meant," Ranger said patiently, "that I'll tell you everything while I shower. You'll just be there listening. Where the hell is Brown?"

"He was getting a change of clothes from Ella for you," Tank said.

"It's bad enough I had to wait for the 'cleaning crew' to show up and pick up my mess, if I lose anymore blood I won't need a change of clothes, I'll be sidelined for the evening. That won't make me happy."

If my stomach wasn't already a knot of nerves, hearing that a crew of any kind was needed where Ranger had been, would've had me feeling gut-punched. In the past, that's meant _a criminal_ just became _a body_ , and backup involved someone with a really big bag. My appetite suddenly went missing, but knowing that Ranger chose our date over treating his wound, had me trying to salvage our night as best I could.

"We don't have to go out tonight, you know," I told him. "If I control myself, we can split the Mac and Cheese I have in the freezer. Plus, I think there's about a quarter of a pint of Chubby Hubby left in the container."

"I'm assuming that's ice cream?" He asked.

I sighed. "You're a smart guy, but you don't know a single thing about pity-party food."

"That's why I'm not a _chubby_ anything."

"Yep, the only extra pounds you're carrying around are weapons-related ... or bandages from something a weapon caused."

I felt incredibly proud of myself, seeing that I can make his lips twitch in amusement. Unless _I'm_ doing something he enjoys, the _only_ other time I see his eyes appear like he's having fun is when he's 'subduing' a particularly mouthy a-hole.

"What the hell happened?" Bobby asked from the front door, finally joining the party which was supposed to be only a _two_ -person holiday. "I heard MacGregor was spotted and then got as dead as his brother."

"I was stopping to pick something up for Steph and got bloody instead of buying blood-red roses," Ranger explained, as we all moved into my living room and Bobby got busy cleaning up the deep graze the bullet made and also a few puncture wounds that look like Ranger also got hit with pieces of glass, not just a bullet. "MacGregor was waiting for me."

"Fuck," Bobby said.

"That about sums it up," Tank added.

"Why did MacAsshole shoot at you?" I asked, being so used to bullet wounds now, I can recognize them and actually watch them be treated without flinching _too_ much.

It's the fact that someone was shooting at him that made me want to throw up.

"His brother's life met an early end," he told me.

"You did the ending?"

"No, _he_ did. Colin MacGregor opened fire on a room full of innocent people. I stopped him."

"Thank God you did! Did you _'stop'_ this MacGregor, too?" I asked him.

He hesitated and I know why. He wants me to see him as just your typical Valentine's Day date, and not look at him as man who has killed many times, in many ways over the course of his life and careers. But he won't hide who he his or ever lie about it.

"Yes."

I swallowed hard, hurting for him all over again, but he wouldn't appreciate my sympathy, so I just nodded. " _Oookay_... so let's make the Mac and Cheese a _celebratory_ meal instead of a holiday one, now that there's one less psycho out there that I have to worry about wanting to kill you."

The guys didn't say anything, but I sensed their approval. If Ranger and I are going to make this work, I know I'll have to deal with conversations like this one more often than anyone wants to.

"That crap can stay in your freezer until Ella throws it away," he stated, while Bobby was finishing sealing the bullet wound. "The flowers were a bust, but you still deserve a night out and a nice meal."

"You know I'm not much of a flower person," I assured him. "And a nice meal to me is something that takes less than two minutes to nuke. I'm fine just knowing that you are."

"You're like my dream date, Steph," Bobby said, putting what I'm guessing is supposed to be a waterproof bandage on The Boss' shoulder, since Ranger's going to shower and go out whether we say no or not.

I smiled at him in a ' _you're so full of shit_ ' kinda way, but Ranger was feeling a little less friendly.

"Get out," he ordered him.

"Sure, now that you're all patched up ... I'm free to go."

"Yes."

He sighed loudly for my benefit, if that suicidal wink of his was anything to go by.

"Dumbass," Tank said to him, grabbing the back of Bobby's jacket and pulling him towards my front door.

"You tell her about NYC yet?" Bobby said before he cleared the threshold.

The door was slammed in his face for an answer.

"New York City?" I said, and then just stared open-mouthed at Ranger.

He picked up the black suit Bobby had left on the hook by my door, and then took my hand and tugged me through my apartment and into the bathroom. He had dropped his change of clothes on my bed and then started taking off the bloody ones in the bathroom after he turned on the water in my shower.

"Do you want the details here or over dinner?" He asked me.

I was momentarily distracted seeing him naked again, but he acted as if this is an everyday occurrence, so maybe it's about to be. I leaned against the sink and talked to the curtain that has now been pulled between us.

"Are you kidding? Do you honestly think I can wait that long? I want to know why you're leaving? And why I'm just hearing about it _now_?"

He was efficient, not only when it comes to showering while talking, but in his movements as he washed his hair and very-muscled body. I tried to stay focused on his words, but it was hard ... almost as hard as that particular body.

" _Babe?_ "

"Sorry," I said, shaking my head. "What did you just say?"

"That I never intended to stay in Trenton this long," he told me.

"You didn't?"

"No. I started Rangeman here because I knew the area, the property was affordable, and my family is close by but not close enough to be touched by what I do. I knew I wanted to set up shop in a major city, but my goal switched to wanting to make enough to buy a building in a specific location in NYC when one became available."

He rinsed off, being careful to not get his bandage too wet, and he turned off the water. I handed him a towel and he started drying off, not saying anything else.

"What's so special about the location?" I pressed. "And why New York City?"

"I lost a few relatives, and a lot of friends in one way or another who were more like brothers to me, because of the terrorist attacks on September 11th."

That had me forgetting all about what the naked body only inches away from me had done with me last night. "And you want a specific building because it ...?"

"Yes, it looks out onto Ground Zero. After the Towers fell, my plan was to become successful here, and then sell my property like I did in Atlanta, and establish myself there. I wanted to honor those I've lost by making sure nothing like that would happen again, at least there. Seeing the memorial everyday would serve as a reminder of why I do what I do, no matter the cost."

"And you haven't left before now because ...?"

He wrapped the towel around his waist and then cupped my face in his hands. "No. I stayed so long because of _you_. I couldn't leave you ... and I didn't think you were ready to come with me if I asked. I had a meeting with Alexander Ramos today before I was ambushed to discuss that."

"You two had a meeting about me?"

"We all know how much he likes you and if I no longer have an entire building full of men here to protect you, I needed to make sure another organization would be willing to do me a favor by also putting you under their protection. I trust Valentine with my life, but one man currently living within ten minutes away from you, and a small army of my own nearby, isn't enough for me. If you aren't ready to come with me, I needed to be sure you'd be safe when I couldn't be here."

"Since you're telling me all of this now ... you must think I'm ready to hear it."

"I'm more confident after last night. I also think you're just as tired of the irritations, Burg assholes, and endless problems, Trenton has been dishing out."

"I am definitely sick of Morelli and Vinnie, but I'm guessing ... thanks to you ... only Vinnie has been a problem."

His fingers flexed on my face and he looked directly into my eyes. " _Will_ you come with me?"

He's either really smart, really sneaky, or both. Why else would he ask me to 'run away with him' while he's standing in front of me wearing nothing except a towel and a persuasive smile. He's hard to resist tight-lipped and clothed, never mind being sweet, talkative, injured, _and_ naked.

"What about ...?"

"It's less than two hours away, Steph. You won't be far from Mary Lou, Edna, or your nieces. Your rat is welcome to reside in the kitchen despite how many health codes he violates. You'd have a job where you won't be bored or frustrated by your boss ..."

I held up a hand. "Hold on, I don't know about that one. You're hot and an incredible person overall, but you still frustrate the hell out of me on occasion."

He gave me a hundred-watt grin before kissing me. "Same here, Babe. But it keeps things interesting."

"It does, doesn't it? Though I could've done without you just blurting out that you're leaving."

"It was the only way I could do it. I've been putting off telling you because I didn't want to hear you say you aren't ready for this ... for us. I've spent the last few months going back and forth between my buildings to oversee the renovation. Our apartment will be similar to the one I have here."

" _Our_ apartment?"

"Yes. You won't just be giving up your life here, you'll be agreeing to build a new one with me there."

"No wonder the guys are so interested in our date, they're really not going to want to be stuck with either of us if I say I'm not going."

His body went still. If there was any water left on him, it would've shot right off, he was that tense.

" _Are_ you staying here?" He asked, after a pause that I felt in every cell of my body.

"No."

"You'd leave with me?"

"Yeah, Batman. I would and _I will_. You didn't give me a lot of reasons to stay. Not only would you not be ten minutes or ten inches away from me anymore if you lived somewhere else, if I come along, I'll have some distance from my family, a better job and living space, and more things to do when I'm not hunting someone down. If you can score Broadway tickets, Mary Lou and Grandma Mazur would kill me for turning you down."

"When can you be ready to go?"

"To dinner or a new state. Because I'm ready now either way."

That got me a much longer kiss and I started to remember he was _very_ naked under that towel.

"We'll stick to just dinner tonight and we can start discussing everything else tomorrow," he told me.

"Okay, but you can't go out like that. You'll be attacked by Mrs. Bestler before we make it to the elevator."

"She has been known to flirt via muffin."

" _Really?_ What guy was the lucky recipient?"

"Ramon."

"He does tie Lester for overly-enjoying bakery items."

"I may leave both behind," he threatened.

"No. If _we_ go, _they all go_."

"Consider it done."

"I am, since a new Rangebuilding has already been picked, bought, and fixed-up."

"I had to act quickly. Once the one I wanted was available, I purchased it. I promise you'll like it."

"How far is it from a pizza place?"

"Not far. And one delivers 24/7."

"I like it more already. I'm so sorry for every loss you've ever had," I said, giving him a hug that had nothing to do with sex.

"I am, too, but I wouldn't be who I am without each of those men, you could say I'm alive to keep their memories alive."

"You're a good guy."

"And a lucky one, since I get to take you out tonight."

"Get dressed and I'll let you feed me tonight, too."

He pressed a kiss to my mouth and then covered up the perfection that is Batman with a perfectly-tailored suit. After helping me into my dress coat and slipping on something thicker than a windbreaker himself, also provided by Bobby and Ella, we left my place five minutes later.

The restaurant he drove us to was nothing like I've ever seen before. There was a lot of glass, black accents, pale wood, and strategically-flattering lighting. The majority of the wood was actually attached to the ceiling ... cut into large, flowy, wave-like shapes so it almost feels like you're moving when you're standing completely still. It gave me a weird "I'm underwater" sensation whenever I looked up.

"What kind of place is this?" I asked.

Since the question didn't stay in my head like it was supposed to, Ranger answered. "It belongs to my cousin Marion, who you probably remember used to be married to Diaz. She needed an investor and I was hoping this would be something she could stay committed to. It was her last shot for family assistance ... and it seems she understood that."

I cut my eyes to him, wondering if there was more to what he was saying. I don't want him to put me and his cousin in the same category. I thought back to the time I first spoke to Sybo Diaz and cringed. I did exactly what I told Morelli I hate him doing. I judged someone without knowing anything about them or their particular situation.

"I'm not the same person I was then," I told my date. "Now I know that even if someone isn't chatty or emotionally expressive, there's a lot going on inside them that I don't see or understand."

"It's alright, Babe."

"No, it's not. Since I've gotten to know you, it's easy to see how stupid I was back then ... about a lot of things."

"We've both made a few mistakes, but that's in the past. Let's just leave it there and enjoy what we have now."

I laced my fingers through his and let him lead me to a table that had obviously been set aside for us. It's weird how _this_ feels more intimate than being naked together did last night.

He pulled my chair out for me and refused to let me check out the price of the champagne he ordered. Despite the horrible day he's had, he appeared so relaxed it was hard to piece together the sneaky guy who'd climbed naked into my bed in the middle of the night, the badass who stood bleeding at my door, and the charming man sitting across from me now. Even I can tell he's here with me because there's no other place he wants to be. He's not just being nice to get laid on Valentine's Day.

We had a multi-course meal filled with stuff I love, including dessert ... which as usual, he didn't want me to eat but didn't say it. And at the risk of ruining my appetite, I asked him more questions about what went on in the hours we weren't together. I wanted to gulp my booze as he spoke, but he moved it to his side of the linen-covered table as he told me his history with the MacGregors and why he'd been in the same city as Colin MacGregor in the first place, which I'm trying really hard not to blame myself for. Had Ranger not needed somewhere else to be, a lot of people could've died that day. Over dessert, he even handed me his phone so I could scroll through pictures of our almost-home that I call a skyscraper but he claims doesn't qualify as one.

"Would you like more dessert?" He asked me with a resigned look in his eyes, watching as my plates all but cleaned themselves one by one.

"Yeah ... I mean who would turn down cookie dough cheesecake? But no, I'm good. _More_ than good," I told him, saying something similar to what he said while lying in my bed. "I'm ready to head out whenever you are."

"Where to? My place or yours? I'm not ready for the night to end."

I have no problem with that. I don't want this _ever_ to end, not just this date. Being wined and dined feels pretty damn good, too.

"Mine," I told him. "If that's okay? Since its days as being _my_ apartment are now numbered."

"Fine by me."

He did the chair/coat/door thing for me again, and I was pissed at myself for wasting this dress before on a jerk who didn't deserve it.

"What's wrong?" Ranger asked me.

"Nothing."

" _Steph_..."

"I promise, there is _nothing_ wrong with this day aside from you getting hurt."

I know he doesn't like being fussed over, so he wouldn't push me to admit out loud how wrong I was for chickening out by not calling him over to my apartment the last time I wore this. I settled myself in the passenger's seat of his vehicle and tried to figure out exactly how easy or difficult this transition is going to be as he drove us back to my place. Not just with moving to a new city, but we weren't even technically a couple forty-eight hours ago, and now we'll actually be cohabitating and he'll be a step-parent/owner to Rex. He hadn't been kidding when he said he'd move in if my barriers ever relaxed. He didn't just _move in_ , he's literally _moving_ _me_.

He slid an arm around my back after he parked in my lot as we left the cold weather and his vehicle behind. He unlocked my door and gestured for me to go in ahead of him. Once my door was secured again, he just stood there ... watching me take off my coat and hang both that and my bag on the hooks by the door.

"Remember what I said about that dress?" He asked, after a few tense - in a tingly way - seconds.

"That if I knew what you were thinking about it ... I wouldn't be standing here, I'd barricade myself in the bedroom with my gun in my hand?"

He didn't compliment me on how good my memory is. Instead ... he took his own coat off and then surprised me by pulling his Glock out and trying to hand it to me. Gulp again.

"I don't want _that thing!_ " I told him, hiding my hands behind my back so I wouldn't have to touch metal. "I just started getting used to using a gun on an asshole, I'm sure as hell not going to point one at _you_."

"You would if you saw the images I currently have in my mind. It'd be for your own personal safety."

"Am I naked in these images?"

"Definitely."

"Are you?"

"Yes."

"This is really weird, but what _you're_ picturing sounds exactly like what _I'm_ currently thinking about."

"Babe."

"What? Why do you think I wanted to go out on a date with you?" I asked. "Even before I knew about the capture, injury, the move, or that you'd ever consider living with me for longer than two weeks at a time when you're hiding out or trying to protect me ..."

"Could be you wanted a good dinner."

"Well, yeah, the food was some of the best I've ever had, but if someone else had asked me out ... I wouldn't have gone. I wanted to be with _you_. That's actually why I needed to come back here instead of going to Rangeman or anywhere else. I made a HUGE mistake a long time ago and I want to wipe out everything bad that happened because of it and replace it with something good ... _you_."

He took a step towards me and I didn't back up or away. I purposely chose a different name that night because I was afraid ... of this moment, of choosing the man who would change my life, literally it seems. I'm not afraid anymore. The only thing I'd use Ranger's gun on right now is if someone knocked on my door and messed up this night, or the sealing of a commitment that feels like a lifetime in the making.

He slid his hand around the nape of my neck and I shivered as soon as his skin touched mine. I curled my arms around him, but he winced before catching himself. I jumped away from him ... well as far as his hand still on my neck would allow me to.

"Crap, I'm sorry. I forgot for a second that you're hurt. You hide that too damn well at times."

"I'm fine, Steph."

"Yeah, you said the same thing when I could clearly see a hole in your leg caused by a bullet going into it."

"I'm a fast healer."

"And I'm an idiot. We can postpone the naked plans. We've already made a sizable dent in our long overdue sexfest, we can wait ..."

" _No_."

"Ranger ..."

He shut me up by slanting his mouth over mine and keeping my lips and tongue occupied.

"Wow," I said after this kiss ended, wondering if my dress had burnt off me during it.

I looked down at myself. Nope, I'm as covered now as I started out as.

"I've warned you twice about that dress," he told me.

"Aren't you going to tell me to take it off?"

"Why would I _order you_ to do something that I want the pleasure of taking off you myself?"

Good point.

"And I'd prefer to do it in the bedroom. You probably don't want to scar the rat with what I'd be doing to you on the counter beside him."

"Rex has been through a lot ..." I started to say but Ranger had his arms curling around my back and under my thighs ... lifting me up. "Your sho ...!"

He used his mouth to shut me up again, and I was happy to let him. When my brain was sufficiently short-circuited, I noticed we were in my bedroom and he was lowering me to the bed. His arms stayed around me and I really wanted to pull him down onto me, but I was worried about hurting him again. Emotional hurts are worse than physical ones, and I didn't want to cause him more pain than I already have in either area.

"Relax, Babe," he said.

"I'm trying, but this isn't a normal Valentine's Day for me."

"Good. That was my goal."

I would've questioned what he meant by that, but his hand moved to my heels to remove them. I was tempted to wrap a leg or two around him and force him closer to me, but I also wanted to see what he'd do without my 'guidance'. He'd managed to shock, and then completely satisfy, me last night. And knowing him ... he'll use a different approach this time to keep me on my toes ... as well as keep them curled. Like he says to me all the time ... he didn't disappoint. He paused in getting me undressed.

"Bringing you flowers tonight didn't work out as I'd planned, but I can give you this tonight in place of something that will only die in a few days anyway."

He slid his hand into his suit pocket and pulled out a fob that I'm used to seeing, but this is a different version of the one I already have.

"What's this?"

"The way of getting into the New York building and the key to get you inside our apartment on the top floor of it."

"Holy Valentine's Day present, Batman!"

"Funny."

"It would be if I'd been joking. Shit ... what I have for you isn't as good as this."

"You bought me something?"

"Yeah. I had no clue what to get until after you left this morning." I reached behind my head and held up the pillow that had a plum-colored, thousand-thread count pillow case covering it. "I wanted you to have your own pillow here so you'd know you always have a place to crash. But now that I know we're moving, I'm guessing there are new pillows already there."

"There are, but I'm keeping this one. Before I take possession of it, tuck it back under your head because we're not going to sleep yet."

His clothes had come off first the last time we'd been together, but it looks like he hadn't been kidding about his plans for removing my dress himself.

"The dress is nice, but the woman wearing it is what continues to attract and intrigue me," he said, sitting on the bed beside me.

He reached out and fingered a curl. I admit, my hair isn't what I thought he'd be fingering first, but with that one gesture, he showed that it's _me_ he wants, not just my body.

"I'm already halfway seduced ..." I started to say, but he curled a hand around the back of my head and used it to bring my face an inch from his.

"Then my job isn't done," he stated, his lips close enough to brush mine as he spoke.

He got even closer when he covered my mouth with his. His fingers messaged my scalp and his other hand went to the zipper of my dress. He eased it down, but still didn't stop kissing me. He's the only man I've ever known who can set off a string of orgasms with just one kiss.

"This, and you, make me feel too much sometimes," I sighed, losing the war with myself and holding onto him for dear life.

It was purely a survival move, because my brain ceased to work and my body was bordering on useless at everything except sending out pleasure signals. Like I always do, I latched onto Ranger ... knowing there's no one I'm safer with. I lifted my hips to help my sexy dress become just a much-improved memory, and while I didn't have a blanket to keep my bare skin warm, I have something way better. His body is hotter than any fleece could be.

With my skimpy underwear still on, he made a space for himself between my legs. I can feel it getting damp ... and he isn't even really touching me yet. When he did, the care and consideration he put into what he did, made me feel more than just his actions. He captured my face in his hand and pressed his lips to my forehead. He's done that to me in a friendly way many times in the past, but I swear I felt the exact shape, texture, and ridges, of his lips. I wouldn't be surprised if I look in the mirror tomorrow morning and see a perfect imprint of them still on me.

His mouth skimmed down the bridge of my nose, where he gently kissed the tip of it before giving my cheekbones some love. A kiss was placed on my chin and then one put on the spot right above it. He kissed my mouth again after that. He skillfully built-up the excitement and anticipation so well, I would've moaned if my mouth had been free to.

"Easy ..." he whispered, when he raised his head ... only to lower it again, focusing on every inch of my neck this time.

"I don't want _easy_... I want _right now_ ," I told him, tugging at his shirt.

It should be off already. I tugged again ... _why isn't it off?!_

He took pity on me, and he likely wanted to prevent his shoulder from getting ravaged like his body is in danger of being, so he unbuttoned and removed his shirt after sucking gently on my earlobe. He moved further down my body, but not far. He stopped and spent considerable time at my breasts. The nipples that I didn't think could be any more sensitive, came to life all over again inside his mouth. I would've been working on his pants for a little pleasure-payback, but my body seems to be taking orders solely from him and not listening to _me_ at all.

His lips trailed over my rib cage, and my stomach sucked in with no input from me under his mouth as he pressed a kiss right below my belly button. My underwear was sliding down my legs, but even then, I still wasn't cold because he fused his mouth to me. The resulting orgasm had me sweating and shaking, not at all chilly or shivering.

My hands were resting on his new pillow, framing my head, and they had no plans on moving until he left the bed to get rid of the rest of his GQ suit. I got a renewed burst of energy and propped myself up on one elbow, reaching out for him with my free hand when he was as naked as I am.

He caught my hand and let me do what I've been wanting to. I kissed him and curled myself around him as he pushed himself into my embarrassingly damp body. As his hips began moving into and against mine, I decided that the holiday that I once hated, has now become my favorite day of my life so far.

"Happy Heart Day, Ranger," I said into his neck, after we both saw stars and he allowed his big body to relax and settle down onto mine.

I felt his heart beating rapidly, but I couldn't see his face. I didn't have to with the words he chose to say back.

"Thank you, Babe, for turning it into one."


End file.
